1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video printer for printing an image on a recording sheet in accordance with image information, and a printing method in use with the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a video printer in which a postcard can be printed with great ease.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A known video printer is supplied with a video imaging signal by a video tape recorder, electronic still camera, or other types of video recorders. The video printer converts the video imaging signal into digital form, retrieves it in a frame memory or field memory, and processes it to record the image. The video printer entered one of plural preset printing modes, including: a normal mode in which a video image of one frame is recorded substantially on an entirety of a recording sheet of the A6 size, which defines an aspect ratio approximating that of to a monitoring screen having an aspect ratio of approximately 3:4; and multi-printing modes in which an image is reduced at a proportion of 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4 and the frame is divided into four, nine and sixteen areas. There has been a recent proposal of a printer, which also has a two-frame multi-printing mode in which each of the images displayed on the monitoring screen is converted to change from the horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation, and a pair of such images are printed on respective halves on the recording sheet.
However, the entire area of the recording sheet is used for printing in any mode of the above printer. There is only a very small margin. Although a recording sheet having a size of a postcard could be used, the surface where an image is printed could not be used for writing a phrase, comments, or other literal expression, because only the very small margin remains on the recording sheet. There is no known printer convenient for printing a postcard.